Improvement in can-openers



' iniid tiene page aan.

Mps. DAVIS, or FoLsoM, CALIFORNIA, ADMINSTRATRIX or THE ESTATE 0F M. C. DAVIS, DECEASED.

Letters Patent No. 92,520, dated July 13, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAN-OPEERS.

The Schedule-referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

`Be it known that M. C. DAVIS, deceased, late'of- Folsom, in the county of Sacramento, and State of California, did, during his lifetime, invent; a new and improved Gan-Opener; and I, Mrs.y M. E. DAVIS, of Folsom aforesaid, administratrix of the estate ofthe said M. O. DAVIS, deceased, do hereby declare that the' following is a full, clear, and `'exact description thereof, which will enable oth'ersv skilled in the art toy make and use the same, Areference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

` This invention relates to improvements in imple# ments for opening tin cans, by cutting a circular piece out of their ends, whereby, by the employment of aV peculiarly-formed knife, arranged to be adjusted `to out holes of any size, on a radial arm, having a centrepin for thrusting through the can, to serve as the fulcrum, around which the knife is caused to rotate on the said radial arm, it is designed to provide a simple and cheap implement, which will accomplish the work with greater facility than .those nowin n'se.-

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 represents an elevation of my improved implement, as it appears when being operated.

A Figures 2 and 3 represent detailed views.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents a hand-lever or radial arm, having a centring-pin, B, at one end, to be inserted 4in the centre of the piece to be cut out, to serve as a fulcrum for the said radial arm.

rlhe outer end of the said arm A may be. curved, as at O,- to facilitate theholding of it in the hand, in connection with the knifehollding yarm D, arranged to slide thereon.

The inner end of the arm -or. handle D is provided with a knife, E, of the forml represented in plan, Iig. 2, secured to the said handle at an angle thereto, whereby, when the implement is in the vcutting-posi tion, it will project through the sheet-metal in a man# ner to cause the least amount'of friction to"the -cut edges of the sheet-metal on the faces of the saine.v

If, for instance, it projected through thesaid metal perpendicularlyto the surface vof the Esame, it could not separate the cut edges to 'provide room for itself in the direct lineof the metal, the resistance in that line being obviously very great, but would have to bend the said edges either up or down, which would be accomplished after the knife has been set into ro tary motion with great diculty, the force of the knife. being applied to the metal also in the line of itsrgreatvest resistance, and perpendicular to the line of resistance of the said edges on the facesof the knife.

But when adjusted in the angular direction, as represented, the edges of the cut metal will be easily bent, the one up and the other down, suiciently to afford room for the said knife, as will be readily understood, thereby affording the least amount of resistance to the operation of the. cutter. I

But when the knife is first thrust through the metal, it can be accomplished easier by a, movement in the direction perpendicular to the metal, the force being applied in a manner to bend the severed edges directly downward; and for this reason the handle of the cut ter is so arranged as to vibrate on the arm A sufficiently to present the' point of the cutter perpendicular to the surface of the can when it is thrust in, and also for causing the point of the cutter to project further Vdownward than the point of the axial pin B, which is preferably brought down and inserted afterwards, when the two handles are grasped in the right hand and turned to the left, while the can is held inthe left hand.

.lo` p revent any Atendency of the resistance of the metalto ,throw the knife upwardand out of the cutting-position, the cutting-edgeis made angular, forming av projecting point, a, from which to the heel it willhave a tendency to draw inward; and the cutting.- edge is otherwise so shaped that it will describe a circle slightly greater than the heel, to prevent undue friction therein of that part of the can not cutl ont, which will not yield to the action of theknife in' separating the two cut edges to provide' room for its path as readily as the otherpo'rtiou,4 especially if out near the outer edge of the can.

` F and G represent pins or studs to limit-the movement of thel handle D on the arm G`. g v

I claim .as new, and desire to secure by Letters 'Patent--- 1. The combination of the radialarm A, having the centre-pin B, with the handle D,snpporting the cutter E, and adjnstably arranged thereon, substantially as and for the purpose specified. l

2L The cutter E, arranged to be thrust through the metal in adirection perpendicular thereto, and adjusted to the inclined position' relatively to the same when cutting, substantially as and-for the purpose specied.

The above speication signed by me, this 5th day of March, 1869,A

-Witnessesz MRS. M. E. DAVIS. JOHN EOFF, J. H. Inrnns. 

